Steering Column Special Study Data Analysis

摘要

This is a report of a statistical and engineering analysis of the performance of steering assembly safety mechanisms, particularly the energy absorbing device (EAD) and the anti-intrusion mechanism (shear capsule). Objectives of the study were to identify conditions of more successful and less successful operation of the EAD's and anti-intrusion components, to determine the relation of both EAD compression and column intrusion to crash severity and driver injury severity, and to compare performance between specific EAD column designs and vehicle types. The analyses were performed on the Steering Column Special Study data collected within the National Accident Sampling System (NASS). The EAD's were found to compress rather little even in more severe crashes, but EAD-equipped vehicles did appear to have slightly less driver chest injury than non-EAD vehicles. No crash conditions in which EAD's clearly functioned best were found.